You have acne — many people do. You’ve tried countless acne lotions and face washes, but nothing seems to get rid of your face blemishes. Perhaps you’ve avoided seeing a dermatologist because you figured it would clear up on its own or you’d find something that would work to get rid of your acne. Now, you’re thinking that it’s time to seek help from a dermatologist.

What Is Acne?

Acne is a type of skin condition that develops when dead skin cells and oil clog your hair follicles. The condition usually causes blackheads, whiteheads and pimples and generally appears on your forehead, face, shoulders, chest and upper back. It’s a common condition in teens, but it can affect anyone of any age. In fact, adults make up 20 percent of all acne cases.

Causes of Acne

Acne can get worse due to many physical, emotional and environmental factors, which include:

Knowing when to see a dermatologist can be difficult. When acne appears, some people chalk it up to stress and don’t think they need to see a dermatologist. Others may think their acne isn’t severe enough to warrant a visit to a specialist. However, seeing a dermatologist can benefit you, even for mild acne.

A few reasons for seeing a dermatologist include:

To reduce scars. Early treatment can prevent scarring from acne. Generally, the more serious your acne, the more chance there is of scarring. Even mild acne can leave scars if picked.

Treatment that provides fast results. Whether you have mild or severe acne, treatment takes time to work. But treatment does take less time to get rid of a few pimples compared to numerous whiteheads, blackheads and deep-rooted acne cysts.

To prevent severe acne. By receiving treatment early, you’ll prevent your acne from progressing into a more serious problem.

If you’re not sure which treatment is good for your acne (or your teen’s), it is helpful to see a dermatologist who can examine the acne and recommend an effective treatment. If you’ve already tried a nonprescription strength acne product for a few weeks with no results, your dermatologist will likely recommend a prescription-strength medication such as Accutane.

It’s essential to follow the instructions of any treatment your dermatologist recommends or prescribes for it to be effective, particularly since it could take a few weeks before you’ll see any signs of improvement.